Appreciation is the Key

A detailed Summary of Appreciation is the Key

There are so many things in this world that people want. People want cars, land, big homes, and the money to buy these possessions . Human beings set so many goals to gain material things, that often they don't take time out to look at the things that exist right in front of them. People have many abilities that are given to them at birth that they tend to take for granted. Many of these things that are often taken advantage of are very cleverly pointed out in The Chosen, by Chaim Potok.

Potok has a very unique way of writing. He has a way of teaching lessons to his readers through his stories. Most of these little lessons are necessities in life that we use every single day. In The Chosen, Potok teaches the reader through Reuven's experiences, and the things that Reuven and Danny learn as they experience life and its hardships. One of the main lessons that kept popping up throughout the novel was to not take the things given to you for granted. By the things given to you I mean the things you have a natural right to, such as using your five senses, having your own beliefs, and being able to choose your friends.

The novel began with the main characters, Reuven and Danny, playing in a ba

I lay still and thought about my eyes. I had always taken them for granted, the way I took

Danny did not have the right to think for himself, but the people of today's America do. We have the freedom to question, and the freedom to believe what we want to believe in. We have had this right for a very long time. America began because a group of individuals didn't want to be forced to think the same way as the king of England. America's early settlers wanted to be able to think for themselves, and make their own rules. We have had this right for so long that we tend to take it for granted. We don't always look at other parts of the world. Many countries are forced to conform to the beliefs of there governments. In some countries people die because they try to think freely. Our nation is lucky to believe in individuality, and we need to look at how lucky we really are.

Chaim Potok is an extremely talented author. He was able to teach the reader how important it is to appreciate the things the reader has. In The Chosen, Potok made it clear how many gifts we have been given. He also made it clear how easily some of these gifts can be taken away. He showed us to appreciate everything we have and are are able to do, because these things can be taken from us in the blink of an eye. We must always recognize what we have and never take any of it for granted. When we are aware of everything we have to be thankful for, we have the key to making life just that much sweeter.

imagine what my life might be like if I had only one good eye, but I couldn't. I had just

Another thing that is often taken for granted is friendship. In The Chosen, Potok does a very good job of portraying how important friendship is. It seems that the importance of friendship is what the novel is based on. Reuven and Danny recognize how important their relationship is. They show their appreciation for each other all throughout the book, and never let themselves take the other for granted. They realize how hard life would be without each other, and are constantly helping the other get through the problems they face. An example of this is throughout the book during one of the many times that Reuven states how much he hates Danny's father so treating Danny so horribly. In chapter thirteen, on page two hundred and eighteen, Reuven comments on how he hated what Danny's father was doing to Danny. Reuven say's, "I went through the rest of the day alternating between violent rage at Reb Saunders' blindness and anguished frustration at Danny's helplessness." Reuven just wanted Danny to be happy, and to be able to do whatever Danny wanted with his life. He hated that Reb Saunders seemed to be making Danny suffer, and he also hated not being able to be Danny's friend more than anything.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2203
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English